National Anthem

[blushing]

Do you know the National Anthem of the country you are living in? Is it important for you to learn it? Do you plan on learning it?

DH and I are trying to learn the national anthem here 'God save the Queen' because DS is started to ask questions about it, although the version he sings is 'God save the Queen because she ate fish fingers out of a bucket'. Not sure where he learnt that. DH figures it must be easier to learn this one than the SA one, considering it is in 3 languages and this one is only in 1.

[popcorn]

No, I don't know it.

Don't really plan on learning it, but maybe one day I'll feel like I should.

The Spanish anthem doesn't have lyrics so in a way you could say I do know it.

[ktkl09]

I've heard it, but it's in too many languages

[clogged]

I am in no way memorize the 6 zillino stanzas of the Dutch one. If I become a citizen, I will memorize the two verses they actually sing. If I don't, then I won't memorize a damn thing. Out of spite.

But I do stand for it. As in stand up when it's played, and show proper respect and all.

[Deleted]

I know the first verse of "God Save the Queen", but I can't hear the song without thinking of the words to "My Country 'Tis of Thee." Yes, I know we stole their melody. And their lyrics actually make SENSE. But still....the words "Let freedom ring" are much more ingrained in my character than "God save the Queen" will ever be.

[Deleted]

Yes I know it. I've learnt it watching Pollyanna over and over when I was little and never forgot it.

[azure]

I know La Marseillaise, but I don't know all the lyrics. I have no idea if M will learn it at school or if I will have to learn it to become a citizen.

[crimsonandclover]

Yep, I know the German one. DH sings along every time there's an international soccer game, and I memorized it somewhere along the line.

[bugabean]

I know enough of the Danish one to fake it, but I really should get around to learning it properly. I only really need to know it for New Year's, and that's a very liberal definition of "need", but it's a good idea anyway.

Jun 5, 2012 12:14:45 GMT -5 clogged said:

I am in no way memorize the 6 zillino stanzas of the Dutch one. If I become a citizen, I will memorize the two verses they actually sing. If I don't, then I won't memorize a damn thing. Out of spite.

I saw on QI that the Dutch one has a verse about being loyal to the king of Spain. Weird.

[elenetxu]

Jun 5, 2012 10:20:07 GMT -5 blushing said:

Do you know the National Anthem of the country you are living in? Is it important for you to learn it? Do you plan on learning it?

DH and I are trying to learn the national anthem here 'God save the Queen' because DS is started to ask questions about it, although the version he sings is 'God save the Queen because she ate fish fingers out of a bucket'. Not sure where he learnt that. DH figures it must be easier to learn this one than the SA one, considering it is in 3 languages and this one is only in 1.

I... might have sung the incorrect lyrics to God Save the Queen the whole time I was in uni in Canada.

I learned the Canadian national anthem - in English, not bilingual like many of my Canadian peers.

The Spanish one? "Ba-ba, ba-ba, ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba BA, ba ba ba ba ba baaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Or, as PPs have said, it has no words.

[GilliC]

I don't really know the Norwegian national anthem, but I know that it's "Ja Vi Elsker Dette Landet!" which kind of means, "Yes, we are passionately in love with this land." It was taught to me as part of an explanation about how I shouldn't use "love" in Norwegian to mean "really like" because it's more about passionate love. The national anthem seems to be the exception.

[dorothyinAus]

Yes. I know the Australian National Anthem, and Waltzing Matilda.

DH and I were talking about this last night as we watched the Diamond Jubilee Concert. I was singing the My Country 'Tis of Thee words and he commented that if we threw out the English, we should have gotten our own melody. But that led to a discussion of national anthems. I know the popularly sung verses of the US, Australian, Canadian (English and French), English and French anthems, though I have to think about the English one, because like villianv, Let Freedom Ring is more engrained in my memory.

[clickerish]

I used to think I really had to learn those when I was a kid, so I have a large repertoire. Spain was a big relief.

Also, why is the US anthem so blasted hard to sing? Why? And they make you sing it WAY more than elsewhere.

[jupiter2311]

I have no idea what the Bahrain one is or what it sounds like. I do know the tune of the Saudi one and can hum/sing it? But I don't know the Arabic words...it used to come on TV every night after all programming was ending with a picture of the king and the Saudi flag CG-ed and waving over his face, lol...it was kind of hard not to be mesmerized..(Ok? I was like 9.)

[oneslybookworm]

Nope, haven't bothered to learn. Honestly, I don't think I've ever even HEARD the Dutch one played...ever.

[anna7602]

La Marseillaise is actually one of my favorite national anthems. We had to learn it in HS French class.

[Deleted]

Jun 5, 2012 18:10:08 GMT -5 clickerish said:

Also, why is the US anthem so blasted hard to sing? Why? And they make you sing it WAY more than elsewhere.

no kidding! I think the US anthem is a karaoke bar's worst nightmare. I've heard amazing singers jack that up, not even mentioning us normal folk that weren't blessed with a great vocal range.

As for the marseillaise, I feel like I should learn it because people sing it drunk in the bars and I'm not against participating

[anna7602]

Jun 6, 2012 3:57:42 GMT -5 @myblue said:

As for the marseillaise, I feel like I should learn it because people sing it drunk in the bars and I'm not against participating

This is true. I've heard it sung at random times A LOT since arriving in France, especially late at night when alcohol is involved.

[dorothyinAus]

Jun 5, 2012 18:10:08 GMT -5 clickerish said:

Also, why is the US anthem so blasted hard to sing? Why? And they make you sing it WAY more than elsewhere.

I've always heard it explained that the melody is from a Scottish drinking song, so you are supposed to be well on your way to being plastered while singing. But I haven't seen that a state of inebriation aides in singing the national anthem any better.

Was anyone else taught that you were not supposed to clap after the national anthem is performed? I asked DH about it and he said he had never heard that in relation to the Australian anthem, so I am wondering if that was a crazy thing of my parents.

[Cheesecake]

Jun 5, 2012 12:14:45 GMT -5 clogged said:

I am in no way memorize the 6 zillino stanzas of the Dutch one. If I become a citizen, I will memorize the two verses they actually sing. If I don't, then I won't memorize a damn thing. Out of spite.

But I do stand for it. As in stand up when it's played, and show proper respect and all.

No one knows all of it. Did you know that the first letters of all the stanzas together form Willem van Nassov, aka William of Nassau? We only sing nr 1 in celebrations, and nr 6 at memorial ceremonies (aka once a year, in the New Church during the official national memorial day services).

Re bugabean and the reference to the Spanish king, that's basically past tense. TIn verse 10 it basically speaks about (wanting to) slay the Spaniards.

It was bascially a very long protest song during the 80 year war with Spain. The reference of German blood is due to the fact that in that time Duitsch (German) didn't yet refer to Germany.

Anyway, I know first sentences of a bunch of anthems due to hearing them once in a while. I know the important Dutch verses and I know the American one, though I will never for the life of me be able to actually sing it (I can't sing period, so yeah, the American anthem is a nightmare to me.)

[Deleted]

I knew the US anthem before I moved here so that was bonus. To me it is crazy how much they sing it... and I don't get the whole putting your hand on your heart thing either.

Obviously I know the Canadian one. Actually several of the stanza's, and I also know the first stanza of the Dutch one since my Dad would always since it.. somewhere along the line I've memorized it as well

[elenetxu]

Jun 7, 2012 15:30:21 GMT -5 @johlise said:

I knew the US anthem before I moved here so that was bonus. To me it is crazy how much they sing it... and I don't get the whole putting your hand on your heart thing either.

DH almost had a heart attack when we took him to the demolition derby at the county fair and, of course, they sung the anthem. He filmed it and I'm VERY glad nobody in our section of the stands understood Spanish! DH was in shock. It never struck me as strange before...

[clickerish]

Jun 6, 2012 4:31:07 GMT -5 dorothyinAus said:

Was anyone else taught that you were not supposed to clap after the national anthem is performed? I asked DH about it and he said he had never heard that in relation to the Australian anthem, so I am wondering if that was a crazy thing of my parents.

This is fascinating! I was just told that if I didn't put my hand over my heart when visiting the US I was disrespecting people and freedom. That's pretty extreme. How do you disrespect freedom with a song that we all disrespect just by attempting to sing.

And to those who don't know all the stanzas to the Dutch national anthem, in the US most don't know all of them either...

[bail229]

Yes, I know the Aussie one. I'm a teacher and we play it at school assembly every Monday. It is in English, so that makes it a bit easier!

[irish]

I know the Irish one (in Irish) for sure, I even knew the verse and chorus at one stage though only the chorus is really sung ever.

There is a slight quirk with this country. For most things the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are seen as two separate countries (which they are) but in rugby the join forces so to speak. So what anthem to play before matches? Well, they created a new one called "Ireland's Call". For matches played in Dublin (home matches) both anthems are played but for any match played overseas only Ireland's Call will be played.

There are A LOT of people who do not know the words to the Irish anthem - they may only know the first and last line of it. But more people would know the words to Ireland's Call (which is not an official anthem)